One Amazing Day: Great Plains Art, Food & Maker Festival Returns September 26
Lawrence, Kansas City and Topeka! Let’s make a day of it. The fifth annual Great Plains Art, Food & Maker Festival returns Saturday, September 26, 2026, bringing original art, handmade finds, delicious food and five live performances to Sesquicentennial Point Park.
For five years, this festival has given our community a place to gather outdoors and connect with the arts. Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or this will be your first visit, bring your people and help us celebrate this milestone.
Picture your blanket on the hillside, music filling the park, something delicious in your hand and Clinton Lake in the distance. That’s your Saturday.
Five acts with music from noon to eight
Come early and settle in. Each performance brings a different sound, with breaks between the afternoon sets to explore the booths and find your next snack.
Noon–1 PM | LegerDemain
Kansas City’s steel pan fusion group opens the day with jazz, blues, rock and world music influences. Led by Marcus Rattler, the band brings unexpected sounds, adventurous arrangements and plenty of musical personality.
2–3 PM | DaNoyze featuring Kenny Watson Jr.
Get ready for fusion funk, R&B, jazz and neo-soul. Led by drummer and composer Kenny Watson Jr., DaNoyze brings Kansas City groove and the kind of rhythmic energy that makes sitting still a challenge.
4–5 PM | The Midland Band
Nebraska’s The Midland Band stretches into 1970s jazz rock, progressive rock, funk and expansive improvisation. Think Grateful Dead adventure and Steely Dan sophistication woven into their own sound. Expect a set that keeps finding somewhere new to go.
5:30–6 PM | Brian Baggett
Rock guitar energy meets jazz sophistication in Brian Baggett’s set. He adds a different texture to the evening, giving you a chance to settle back into your chair and enjoy the playing before the headliner takes over.
7–8 PM | Rhythm Republic featuring Stanley Sheldon
Our headliner closes the night with Afro-Cuban rhythms, Latin jazz, funk and deep grooves. Led by longtime Peter Frampton bassist Stanley Sheldon, Rhythm Republic brings musicianship and movement to the hillside. Leave some energy for this finale!
Meet the makers and find your next favorite
There’s something special about taking home a piece you chose while talking with the person who made it. This year’s marketplace brings together original artists, potters, jewelers, leatherworkers, textile makers and creative small businesses from across the region.
You can browse wildlife paintings and handmade mugs, pick out a new bag, discover botanical gifts or find something wonderfully unexpected. Give yourself time to wander.
And come hungry. Make lunch a stop at Conchis Cuisine or Black Iron Eatery, find street corn at Corona’s Elotes, then leave room for warm kunafa, baked treats or fresh lemonade.
Alcohol will be provided by Fields & Ivy Brewery.
Great Plains Art, Food & Maker Festival: The Vendor Lineup
Here are the businesses currently on our vendor lineup, grouped to help you plan your visit. Updated September 12, 2026. The lineup is subject to change; some vendors may be unable to attend, and additional vendors may be announced.
Food trucks and treats
Al Awda Kunafa — Warm kunafa prepared fresh.
Black Iron Eatery — Burgers, barbecue and sandwiches.
Buck’s Honey Bee Company — Raw, creamed and infused honey.
Conchis Cuisine — Mexican food.
Corona’s Elotes — Elotes and street corn.
Just Nuts — Cinnamon roasted nuts and Kansas favorites.
Let’s Jam — Fruit jams in a variety of flavors.
PJ’s Cakes & Soda Bar — Mini cakes, cookies, brownies and specialty sodas.
Salt & Sky — Spice blends, infused sugars, teas and more.
SMR BBQ — Barbecue sauces and dry rubs.
The Cozy Crumb Bakery — Baked goods and yeast specialties.
The Original LLC — Fresh squeezed lemonade and walking tacos.
Original art and photography
Brandt Minden Art — Paintings and photography prints.
Brushes Down Watercolors — Original watercolor paintings.
Elaine Matt Art — Wildlife portraits on repurposed wood, carving and wood burning.
Lone Star Roots Photography — Landscape and nature photography.
Magical Mini Magnets — Miniature landscape paintings and handmade jewelry.
Michael Lee Heron — Original screen prints, shirts and stickers.
Nothingamonth Studio — Original paintings, prints and trinkets.
Sagehorne Manor — Original art, local fiber and handspun yarn.
SaraWr Art — Nature, bird and cat art prints and stickers.
The Zen Zone — Origami creations.
Pottery and ceramics
Heather Eslinger ART — Ceramic vessels and small buffalo sculptures.
LK Hoppes — Functional ceramics with detailed surface designs.
MHK Clay Collective — Functional pottery in a variety of styles.
PumfordPots — Handmade mugs, bowls and other functional ceramics.
Rachel Ross Pottery — Original functional ceramics.
Studio Cat Design — Handmade pottery and ceramics.
The Witch and The Geek — Wheel thrown drinkware, dinnerware and planters.
Winding Oak Gift Co — Handmade pottery and microwave bowl cozies.
Jewelry and wearable creations
66jewelrybyhand — Beaded and wire wrapped jewelry, gems and minerals.
A Touch of Spark — Custom fit permanent jewelry.
Adamant Behavior Custom Apparel — Original art, tie dye and embroidered apparel.
Alexandria Whitney Art — Handmade jewelry, purse chains and accessories.
Beads by Mackenzie — Native beadwork.
CAT Designs Jewelry & Gifts — Jewelry, miniatures and metal bookmarks.
Classy Lady Jewels — Original handcrafted jewelry.
Drygulch Leatherworks — Handmade leather bags, belts, wallets and journals.
Idolize Jewelry — Colorful handmade necklaces, earrings and bracelets.
Joey’s Heirlooms and Fiber — Knit and crochet wearable art using recycled fibers.
K&Js Glitz and Glam — Handmade jewelry, sun catchers and yard décor.
Meadow + Larke Silver Co — Sterling silver, stone and beaded jewelry.
Pieces All Together — Handmade crochet creations.
Ranaway Bags — Leather and fabric bags and accessories.
Triple S Leather and Metalworks — Copper jewelry, buckles and mohair cinches.
Home and garden finds
Amethystine Amphibians — Ethically sourced exotic animal taxidermy.
Bearded Barrel Company — Handcrafted pieces made from reclaimed barrels.
Brady ‘Biites’ — Homemade dog treats and handmade dog items.
Cassie’s Resin Works — Resin creations and woodwork.
Drunken Woodchuck Design — Wooden drink dispensers and candles.
Everbloom Flower Farm — Farm grown bouquets, flower crafts and bath products.
Flora & Feather Farms — Flowers, handmade quilts and embroidered gifts.
Leaf & Sky — Original botanical art on textiles, stationery, shirts and wildlife houses.
Spiral Farms — Handmade Halloween and home décor.
Spirit Voyage Native Arts — Hand dug Arkansas quartz and brookite.
Viking Custom Creations — Wooden baskets, trays, games and seasonal creations.
Weaver’s Engraving and Wood Creations — Custom engraved gifts and wood signs.
Wood Chopper — Wooden cutting boards, serving boards and trays.
Body care and specialty experiences
Experiencing Wellness — An immersive crystal sound bowl experience.
Luna Lou KC — Body care made in small batches.
Midwest Daisy Candles — Soy candles in upcycled mugs and glassware.
Snowdrop & Co — Handmade car freshies and customizable charm chains.
Soggy Bottom Hemp — Products made with Midwest grown hemp.
Steph’s Soaps & Stuff — Handmade soaps, bath bombs and body care.
Tallow by Rauch Family Farm — Handcrafted tallow products.
Wild Ivy Herb Farm — Herbal teas, soaps, oils, salves and more.
A hillside worth spending the day on
At Sesquicentennial Point, the setting is part of the experience. Bring a camping chair or picnic blanket, find your spot on the grass and take in the views of Clinton Lake and the Wakarusa River Valley. Stay for the evening music as the light changes across the park.
The festival is produced by Great Plains Emerging Arts Project, a nonprofit working to connect our community with the arts. Your ticket helps keep this gathering going and supports our work to advance the Lawrence Civic Amphitheater Project at The Point.
Plan your festival day
Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026.
Location: Sesquicentennial Point Park, 1333 E 902 Rd, Lawrence, Kansas.
Gates open: 11:30 AM.
Live music: Noon–8 PM, with all five performances included in admission.
Tickets: $10 in advance through September 25; $12 on festival day. Applicable taxes and ticket fees are additional.
Kids: Ages 15 and under get in free.
Bring: A camping chair or picnic blanket and comfortable shoes for the sloping grass hillside.
Good to know: Reentry is allowed. Rain or shine. Service animals are welcome; please leave pets at home.
Make September 26 a day together
Send this post to the friends you want beside you on the hillside, make your plans and grab your advance tickets. Come touch grass, discover something handmade, eat well and hear what these musicians can do. We can’t wait to celebrate year five with you.
Buy your Great Plains Fest tickets(Click Below)
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